My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Bring some Spring

21 March 2018
click to send Christine a smile
and more

It’s not yet, but so nearly

almost, more or less

all but, not quite

just about, nearly

practically, as good as

pretty much… but not quite feeling like spring out there, yet

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Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.

Tutorials

21 March 2018

Craft a Spring basket from a wreath

A wide gap nearly basket for nearly spring

1 November 2011

Weaving a twig wreath

For my design I wanted the wreath to look wind blown so I added a few loosely woven twigs into the weave. I also wanted to emphasize the autumn colours so I added a twirling copper wire into the weave

4 January 2011

Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.

14 March 2018

Willow birdcage

Weave a willow birdcage to use as a wedding ring box

27 September 2017

Tendril vine Wreath Pumpkin

Reshape a vine wreath into smaller wreaths to combine as a pumpkin

24 May 2017

Designing an odd one out wreath

Adding floral material to a wreath design

24 May 2017

Chain link wreath weaving

Weave a few small wreaths to connect

11 April 2017

A little nest for Easter chocolates that naturally hooks over the edge of a container

Weave a tiny nest with a twig hook so that you can hang it in a design

7 September 2016

Willow flower crown

Loosely weave willow tips to create an ethereal crown

4 May 2016

Loosened Wreath Armature

Snip a dried twig wreath to undo the spirals to hang around a glass container

25 January 2012

Weaving Willow spheres

I build up the spheres by weaving willow wreaths and then use those to shape the ball

29 May 2013

Tiny Rattan Basket

Weave a thin and delicate rattan basket

1 February 2012

Weaving a diagonal green grass basket

Once you figure out how to do the corners weaving a diagonal shape is actually not that hard to do.

30 October 2012

Midelino Harvest Moon Basket

This is a great flat and open basket to take outside when “harvesting” your fall leaves, pods and flowers. Who knows, you might even find a ghost pumpkin or three…

14 August 2012

Midelino cane coil basket

Weave a hand basket from Midelino cane coils

4 September 2013

Weave a heart shaped basket

An easy to assemble open weave basket

14 May 2025

Use dried roots from a re-potted Monstera to create a root lace-wreath

Every repotting season I struggle with what to do with my overgrown Monstera plant. It absolutely loves hanging out in my design room... so... let's design, Monstera!

9 April 2025

Nesting a small basket in a clematis vine for a “help yourself” Easter egg display

The dried plant material keeps the vine from flopping over in the vase as it continues to grow and flower and the vine lifts the dried material far above the water to prevent it from spoiling.

26 February 2025

Thread your wreaths in a row to show off your "it could (almost) be mistaken for Spring sprouts"

Late winter flowering irises in a wreath armature

23 October 2024

Four wreath harvest basket that looks like it grew that way… because now some of it still is!

Harvest some cuttings to root in a wild and overgrown floral design.

6 March 2024

A secret and so pretty stay open support for a growing willow birdcage

Grow your own willow birdcage in a small pot to display Spring flowers in.

28 February 2024

Tangle a Ceropegia Woodii bud vase nest topper

Hatching an Oncidium orchid from a succulent vine nest... as one does in early Spring.

28 June 2023

Knot a vine wreath and ripped grass bug net

Simply easy design... with tiny design details to make your summer display unique.

19 April 2023

Willow and Vine tiny stem Gathering Basket

Tiny stems are often also delicate stems... place your cut flowers directly in a small glass of water. A perfect fit for this basket.

1 March 2023

Glue an early Spring basket from leftover cherry blossom twigs

After the last petal drops cut the blossom twigs into snippets to craft a basket with.

26 January 2022

Off-cut stem snippet and grass curl basket

Piece together a floral basket that looks delicate AND overgrown.

24 November 2021

Feather and Twig Wreath to frame a Handcrafted Copper Lantern

Cover a basic wreath with a layer of feathers for a soft and comforting winter wreath

24 November 2021

Flameless Patina Copper Lantern

This is the easiest battery operated votive candle lantern to hand craft from a copper sheet... ever! As always with my Tutorials you will not need any special tools or workshop space. Just a bit of extra ventilation for the step where we chemically patina the copper.

6 October 2021

A quick and easy way to Craft a Twig Basket Using Wire Tendrils

The hardest part of this is actually making the tendrils. From there it's a few twists... and we are done!

15 September 2021

Wire wrap for a shallow container to keep a twig arch armature neatly in place

Wrap a wire around both ends of a shallow container to keep the twigs in place.

2 March 2021

Catch Blossom Petals in a Pussy Willow tray basket

An easy to assemble yourself harvest basket to carry home and display Spring blossoms.

9 January 2019

Winter white Tulle bridal basket

Craft a delicate bridal basket from twigs and tulle.

5 September 2018

Wisteria Wreath Vine

Weave tiny vine wreaths on the leave stems of a stripped Wisteria vine

5 September 2018

Wisteria Vine Wreath Armature

Create a barely there armature with sturdy end of season vines.

18 April 2018

Clematis Vine Swing

Weave a delicate nest for a small spring design.

Related Designs

14 March 2018

Old, new trends

My article and willow birdcage design for wedding rings featured in DIY Weddings Magazine.

27 September 2017

As tendrils tend to do

Curl a wreath with tendrils to create a twig-pumpkin

24 May 2017

Link

weave a few wreaths to link

11 April 2017

Well… we did it again!

Blossoms and chocolates for Easter

7 September 2016

You are all invited!

My article and Willow Crown design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

4 May 2016

Ring-a-round

Open a vine wreath to create a spiral twig armature around a glass container

11 April 2011

Veiled Sunshine:50th Anniversary of the South African Orchid Society at the Cape Town Convention Centre.

Bright and sunny cymbidium orchids and roses, lilies, lisianthus and pincushions

10 April 2011

Feeling Funky

I wove vine wreaths to form a pyramid, one just slightly larger than the next. In the natural cavities between the wreaths I placed the roses and lisianthus in plastic covered Oasis

29 May 2013

The day came

Weave a tiny rattan basket

4 September 2013

Been there, Seen that

My article and woven heart basket design featured in the third anniversary issue of DIY Weddings Magazine

14 May 2025

Spring Light

Wrap and weave a lace fine disk.

9 April 2025

Eggsactly… just like this

The flowers will continue to open around the nest… and the eggs… well surely they will disappear and you will need to replace those before Easter.

26 February 2025

“Ha ha ha weeeeee!"

Beautiful iris wreath kebab to chase away the winter blues

23 October 2024

Haerfest

Rooting clematis cuttings in a harvest wreath basket

6 March 2024

A Stay Open

Grow a willow birdcage... with a bit of a Spring flower support to get it started.

28 February 2024

When the Super-duper is taking it Easy-peasy

Easy does it design that hints at but is not yet as intensive as the fun basket weaving and crafting that comes with Spring designing.

28 June 2023

Catch and Release

Ah... yes summer time designing. Anyone else seeing more insects hiding between the petals this year?

19 April 2023

Short Cut

A tiny carry basket to gather the shortest stems from your cutting garden... with a place for water and your cutters.

1 March 2023

… ish

An early... ish Spring basket glued from blossom twigs

26 January 2022

Carry On

As sturdy as it is delicate basket made from off-cut stems and grass.

24 November 2021

It’s the most… it’s the most... Glowing-est Patina Christmas of all!

This is the first of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. We will explore how to patina Copper and use it to craft beautiful Festive floral accessories.